Erika Kirk, the widow of slain right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk, has formally asked the court to fast-track the criminal case against Tyler Robinson — the 22-year-old accused of assassinating her husband in September.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a Turning Point USA event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, according to reports.
After a manhunt, Robinson was identified as a suspect once he turned himself in to police, authorities said. He is now charged with aggravated murder, along with other felony counts.
According to KUTV, Fox 13 and ABC4, Erika Kirk filed for a speedy trial on Friday, Jan. 16, accusing Robinson’s defense team of dragging out the proceedings in her court filing.
While the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees a defendant the right to a speedy trial, Utah law also grants crime victims the “right to a speedy disposition of the charges free from unwarranted delay caused by or at the behest of the defendant.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(710x425:712x427):format(webp)/charlie-kirk-091125-e1338d517c7244d8b49a66ba182adf3f.jpg)
“The Defendant in this case is entitled to a fair trial, and he must be given one, but he is not entitled to cause undue delay to the criminal justice process,” Erika Kirk’s attorney wrote in the filing, per Fox 13.
At the same time, Robinson’s attorneys are attempting to have the Utah County Prosecutor’s Office removed from the case, according to the outlets.
Fox 13 reported that Robinson’s legal team claimed in a motion to disqualify prosecutors that the daughter of a deputy county attorney attended the rally where the shooting happened — and argued that her presence created a conflict of interest.
The county attorney pushed back, calling the defense’s claim a “stalling tactic,” per Fox 13.
Authorities have previously said they plan to seek the death penalty for Robinson, who has not yet entered a plea.
